


the rooftop

by litesalted



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: M/M, idk i'll probably make little shorts of the scenes they talked about, it's lit fam, this is from bird's superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-24 23:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litesalted/pseuds/litesalted
Summary: This was based around the AU that bird and mckinzie made up. it's the rooftop scene where michael's like "hey fam you gucci" and jeremy's like "nah fam" and they have a good heartfelt moment.





	the rooftop

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reptilianraven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reptilianraven/gifts).



> So obviously I cannot take credit for this AU, the master list is [http://archiveofourown.org/works/13796067]. I highly recommend giving it a read since it's amazing and I can't wait to see more of it!

Left leg forward. Right punch. Dodge under. Roundhouse kick. Shoulder roll. Move back a few steps. Take a breath. Look at placing.

All these things are flying through Michael’s head as he finally takes a good look at his opponent. Usually Tragedy would take this as an opportunity to fly forward and knock Michael off his feet. But Tragedy was just standing there. Not even standing, he looks as though he’s going to collapse onto the ground at any second.

Michael lowers his arms and carefully takes a few more steps back, watching as Tragedy sways where he stands. Michael then remembers, Tragedy is also just a kid. A kid like him who probably has homework that’s due, a test next week, and maybe even a girlfriend to worry about. So instead of advancing or trying to push Tragedy even farther, he sits down. He sits down on the edge of the roof and lets the cold wind blow through his hair. He was beginning to realize how cold it is, and wishes he had insulated his costume more.

Michael looks up and sees Tragedy stumble as he tries to move forward, causing Michael to laugh.

“Why are you sitting?” Tragedy pants, slowly bringing up his arms into a defensive position, his voice modulator letting a voice crack slip through.

“Because you’re no fun tonight. Usually you put up a better fight, but you’re barely trying. What’s the point?” Michael shrugs, rubbing his arms.

Tragedy stands for a moment, the wind ruffling his curly hair slightly. Michael looks at his silhouette and swears he sees someone familiar, but he can’t quite place his finger on it. Eventually, after a while of just the wind blowing, Tragedy sits down.

The two boys sit, merely relaxing and thankful that there were no cameras or reporters asking them about their feud. Michael was exhausted from trying to hide all of this from his parents, and he had an english paper about John Steinbeck due tomorrow and he was falling behind in math and trying to hide his feelings for Jeremy. There was just a lot going on and he couldn’t wait till he was able to just go home and sleep. Well, it would be more of a nap by the time he got home and finished everything. He needs a break.

He looks over at Tragedy and feels a pang in his heart. This kid probably also has an english paper due soon and is falling behind on math homework too. Even if he was a villain, Michael still felt guilty hurting him because he still had school. And he felt a weird attachment to this odd masked character who didn’t seem that into his crimes.

“Are you, like,” Michael pauses to see if Tragedy is even listening, “okay?”

Tragedy’s head snaps up and looks at him. The one eye Michael can see is unreadable, but Michael can see his lip quiver. Michael wants to reach out and hold his hand, wondering, how he could hurt this kid? Then Tragedy does something odd.

He fidgets. His hands move together and he tugs on his fingers. Clearly he notices it since he stopped immediately, but Michael catches it. And he can swear he’s seen that exact move before. The little fidget, the pulling of fingers and immediate stopping. He should recognize it.

“No...no I’m really not,” Tragedy manages out, his voice almost lost in the wind. Thankfully Michael was able to hear him, and he stands up. Michael gets up and walks over to Tragedy, sitting down next to him and sighing.

Tragedy stiffens, fully ready to fight or fly. But Michael only sits, looking up at the moon and trying to stay warm from the high up wind.

“But, um,” Tragedy stutters, running a hand through his hair, “it’s not a big deal. I’m a villain, so I’m not really supposed to be okay. Y’know?”

Michael frowns and places a hand over Tragedy’s, not even doing a double take about whether this would be okay or not. He wants to see this kid happy. His mask is hurting both of them, and he wishes he could just take it off.

“You’re not a bad person, y’know,” Michael murmurs and Tragedy gives him a look. “It’s true. Yeah, you do bad things like robbing but I don’t think you’re a bad person.”

“How can you say that? After all I’ve done?’ Tragedy whispers out, causing Michael to lean in.

Michael takes a deep breath and takes a deep long look at this boy and the mask. Then he wonders, is this mask really a mask at all? Or is it truly who this person is, and the face underneath is the fake one put on for the world. Could someone feel so awful and down that they feel the need to turn to crime as the synonym for catastrophe?

Michael has grown up knowing he could have anything he wanted. All he would have to do is take off his blindfold and tell Tragedy to take off the mask and smile. He desperately wanted to see this mask break away and reveal a beautiful shining face. Yet, as much as Michael wished and wished he could see who his enemy really was, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bring himself to force someone to do something they didn’t want to, or weren’t comfortable with. 

So instead he reaches up a hand and brushes his fingers along the cheek of the mask. And it’s so cold, the material giving Michael goosebumps, and he feels as though he has touched the forbidden fruit. This is not something he should be doing but he can’t help it. He feels so strongly connected with this sadness and he doesn’t know why.

“Because you’re a good person, deep down. Even if you do some stupid shit sometimes. You’re someone who’s trying their best, even when they make mistakes,” Michael chuckles. Tragedy swallows and looks away, and Michael swears he can see some rouge on the villains cheeks.

“You know nothing about me, Adonis,” Tragedy huffs. Michael stiffens at the name but tries a different approach.

“No, but you remind me of a friend I have. My best friend actually. He feels kinda like you, sad to the point of feeling like he deserves nothing more. He can be silly like that. I think he’s wonderful. Yeah, sometimes he really screws up with either hurting people like me or his dad, or even some petty theft. But he’s not a bad guy. Because he still loves his family and his friends, and he tries to be the best son he can be for his dad. And he’s always supporting me through all my stupid adventures, and I don’t thank him enough for it. I know I’ve tried to tell him what I’m telling you now but he won’t listen to me. And I doubt you will either. But doing bad things doesn’t make you a bad person,” Michael finishes, looking up at the stars.

“But it does! Committing crimes and hurting those around you makes you a bad person. Your friend sounds like kind of a wimpy jerk. By definition a bad person is someone who does bad things. And that’s me. I do awful things, Adonis, and that’s why I am not okay. I deserve it though, because it’s my punishment for abandoning those I love for this horrible life that constantly puts me in danger. I’m selfish and cruel and twisted. And it’s okay.”

Michael immediately turned on Tragedy, feeling his blood begin to boil.

“Don’t call my best friend a wimpy jerk or this sentimental moment will end with your broken nose. Because he isn’t. He is one of the strongest people I know. His mother left him for some asshole when he was in middle school and his dad went off the rails. And he still kept it together. He kept getting good grades and trying to make people proud even when he didn't need to. He had every right to turn his back to the world and say ‘fuck it’ before running off to god knows where. But he didn’t. He didn’t and he’s still my best friend to this day and one of the best ones I could ask for. You remind me of him. Because even if you both sometimes do bad things, you’re still good people. You have to realize that,” Michael says, clutching Tragedy’s hand to his chest, feeling his eyes brim with tears. “You don’t deserve to feel this pain.”

Tragedy swallows and Michael watches with furious intensity, praying that Tragedy listened to even a little bit of his rant.

“Your friend and I would get along very well. He is extremely lucky to have you as a friend, for you to speak so highly of him. My best friend doesn’t even know I’m in love with him. So your friendship restores something inside me. Because if you can love your friend who constantly screws up, maybe mine can love me too.”

“It’s never too late to try.”

The two boys sit and stare at each other, searching for something, but they didn't know what it was. They felt that this was a repetition, of a moment somewhere many nights ago under a blanket fort surrounded by stuffed animals and pillows. They felt a fire between them, but neither dares to admit to it.

Michael makes a note to try and show Jeremy how much he appreciates him tomorrow morning at school. Because if he can’t help this kid, who doesn’t really want to be a villain, maybe he could stop Jeremy from coming down this same path.

Michael then feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He lets go of Tragedy’s hands and takes it out, looking at the time.

“Shit, it’s past midnight. My mom gets home from nursing soon, so I better go,” Michael says as he quickly stands.

He reaches out and helps Tragedy stand as well.

“Just, think about what I said, okay?” Michael pleads. Tragedy looks at him long and hard, his expression unreadable but Michael has a hope that he will.

Before Tragedy can say anything more, Michael is running off the rooftop, hopping his way down to the streets where he can run all the way home. He really hopes he can save Jeremy from going down this path.


End file.
